Abbas made the remark after his meeting with visiting Jordanian King Abdallah. Abdallah visited Palestinian territories for the first time in 11 years. The Palestinian news agency Wafa said that the visit comes as part of continuous coordination and consultation between the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, and to discuss the situation in the region.

"We are ready to return to the negotiations table if Israel halts settlement activities and accepts the international references", Abbas said.

"These are not preconditions, but commitments and agreements between us and the Israelis. We are ready to resume peace talks once they accept them."

The US-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed after Israel refused to extend a 10-month moratorium over freezing settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In response, the Palestinian leadership decided to go to the United Nations to seek recognition of an independent state.

The United States and Israel strongly oppose the bid. The US administration has said it wants the recognition of the Palestinian state to be a result of a negotiated agreement between the parties concerned.

The Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said during a joint press conference with his Palestinian counterpart that Jordan backs the Mideast Quartet's efforts to resume peace talks between the two sides.

"We support the resumption of direct negotiations, because the goal is to guarantee the creation of an independent Palestinian state," Judeh said.

The Quartet, which groups the US, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia, has been pressing the Israelis and the Palestinians to resume direct negotiations since Sept. 23, when Abbas applied for full membership at the UN Security Council.

Saleh Ra'fat, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee, said that the two leaders discussed efforts to revive peace negotiations and the Palestinian bid for full UN membership.